Why such a long time to update?
One word: Life
Let's just say that I'm not online all the time this summer, and leave it at that. :)
Chapter 22: Fiona VS Reason
Jarod fingered his red hair as he stood before a young woman on a mare. He sneered at the thought of this girl thinking that she could lead a province. He had been a Sentinel for years, while this girl had just earned the rank of Silver Knight. She should be glad that he was willing to accept her as a 'superior…' Well, as long as he was in this region, he'd respect her judgment, but if she dared to bother him when he was in his normal post, then he'd force her to obey his superior guidance.
Suppressing the urge to laugh at this conceited neophyte, Jarod began to address her on the battle ahead.
"General Fiona, might I remind you that if Daein fails to hold Morado, the enemy will have two flanks from which to strike Nevassa. Once they take here, they can slip past the great Temple of Palmeni and assault Nevassa from the northwest. If they succeed in taking Nebula, they can evade our allies in Nox and Talegra and move towards Nevassa from the southwest. If our capital falls, then we will be doomed."
"With all do respect, General Jarod, why are you speaking in such terms? The Confederacy will still stand even if Nevassa falls, and Lord Izuka will be able to regroup our army at Nox. Our force will still be able to fight on." Fiona spoke, trembling slightly. The words that came from her mouth were not what she truly felt, but as long as she appeased these Confederate masters, her people would be safe… Jarod might even help her evacuate her citizens once the Coalition attacked, for in his eyes they'd serve as loyal warriors for the Confederate cause.
Jarod laughed. Perhaps this girl finally knew her place.
"Well said, Fiona. We must do what we can to ensure our combined might, or those fools in the Coalition will ruin everything we've fought for. They've already made our comrades at Sella look like idiots, and those brave warriors who tried to liberate Crimea were so brutally butchered by them. For their sakes, and for the Confederacy's sake, we have to kill those who guide the Coalition's banners."
"Yes…" Fiona gulped. Somehow it seemed as though she was digging her own grave.
"Master Lekain, Capitals Sienne and Nevassa are aflame with riots and protests. The people have noted our almost endless casualties in the course of this war, and with the Coalition inching towards Nevassa, many Daein Confederate citizens have considered the option of surrendering to the Daein Loyalist Army and accepting their jurisdiction over our own. We must find a way to prevent open rebellion within our ranks and halt the Coalition's advance, otherwise your great plan will come to naught."
Lekain smirked at his messenger. What would a simpleton know of strategy? By luring Coalition troops deep into Daein territory, he could strike Melior with even greater efficiency. Soren was inching towards Marado, a city which was a hassle to defend, and Nevassa was only a fraction of its once glorious might. The great ruler of the Confederacy did not expect to hold all of Daein for long, no, he knew that Nevassa would likely fall to the enemy, and that he'd only hold Nox and Talegra, but what Soren did not know was that Telgam, so close to Crimea's border, was the perfect place to stage an offensive. He'd strike now, taking Melior and destroying Coalition morale.
In war, Lekain mused, the strong survive and the weak are sacrificed as cannon fodder. 'Twas a pity that his task force was destroyed when it attacked Crimea and Gallia, but that only showed how weak those soldiers were. Since they could not prevail, they did not deserve to live. This was even more true when Crimean forces slaughtered the rest of his soldiers stationed in Crimea and Daein. The Coalition had been plowing through Lekain's cannon fodder. They were not winning, no, his elite soldiers were waiting in Gaddos. Telgam, and Sienne, waiting to crush the Coalition at the height of its advance.
"Don't worry." He told his messenger with a smile. "Believe in the fact that our strongest warriors have not even had the chance to enter the field. Field Marshal Septimus is holding Telgam as we speak, and once I give a signal, a legion of our finest Falcoknights will descend upon Melior. With the city undefended, as its finest warriors are currently in Sella, we will destroy the Crimean war effort and prevail. Each Falcoknight is carrying a tested armored General, so the enemy will have a harder time fending them off.
"As they try to clear up this mass of Falcoknights and Generals, our Seraph Knights, accompanied by Dracolords and Dragonmasters, shall swoop in to finish the job. More soldiers will pour from the peaks of the mountains that border Crimea and Begnion, and Crimea will be finished. We of Begnion have more men than Crimea can ever muster, and with each soldier being a tried veteran we shall destroy their pathetic army."
"Permission to speak freely, sir, but that's what you claimed when we first attacked Crimea. Our task force was destroyed and Crimea was able to gain the initiative with significant but bearable casualties."
"A wise man does not question his superiors indiscriminately. Clearly, you are not thinking properly. I just told you that my task force was not my trump card. Indeed, they were of a more mighty lot, but they are merely wolves compared to the orcas that are my finest warriors. We will prevail over the enemy, and when we do history will show that though Begnion sacrificed many warriors, we destroyed our enemy and reestablished our empire over all of Tellius. The Confederacy will prevail!"
"Very well, then, Fiona. I will leave a veteran officer here to assist you. Master Lekain has need of my strength elsewhere."
"General Jarod, you do realize that Marado is the only point from which the Confederacy can block the Coalition's advance into Nevassa..."
"Of course, but as you pointed out, we can do without her. This is a time where our great nation must give ground in order to regroup and restore our strength. We're too large for our own good, especially after losing so much of our fighting force. Good luck, General Fiona. May Ashera be with you."
And with that, General Jarod abandoned the Confederate garrison at Marado, leaving Fiona and a certain General Laverton to fight on their own.
Janaff came flapping back to base.
"What did you see?" Soren spoke.
"Getting down to business, eh? Well, it looks like Jarod withdrew a lot of his troops from Marado, having them teleport away via Warp stave. The enemy commander is Fiona, of the Daein Confederate Knights, and she has Laverton, a Begnion Field Marshall, with her. We might be able to convince both that the Confederacy has abandoned them and that they can join our cause instead."
"Knowing the Confederate mindset, that would prove difficult." Soren sighed.
"Haven't you seen several regiments of theirs join our ranks? I thought you were more confident than that."
"Sometimes you just can't beat sheer stupidity, Janaff."
"..."
Both armies arrayed themselves on opposite sides of the Maradan Creek.
"We're finished." Laverton groaned. "In a few minutes they will come pouring over whatever barricades we have, natural or otherwise, and we'll be ducks in a shooting range. General Fiona, prepare yourself for this last stand."
Fiona gulped. Had she really dug her own grave? Did she come this far in her journey only to face the nightmarish jaws of the Coalition? She had pressed her face into the ground, groveling before the mighty Confederacy in the hope that Marado would be safe, and now they left her to die like this. Fate was quite cruel indeed.
No, she could not fail her people. If death would be her reward today, then she'd face it with pride and honor. She was a knight of Daein. No one could take that from her. As the Guardian of Marado, she would die protecting this district from the claws of its invaders!
"General Tauroneo, we both do not want anyone to die, enemy or otherwise, in this sad place. Seeing as how various farmers hid from us as we marched past, it's clear that these Daeins have either suffered greatly, or have been mislead into not trusting us at all. I think it's a bit of both. I ask that you help convince the 'enemy' to stand down and join us. Once they recognize you, I have no doubt that half of the 'enemy' force will come to our side." Soren sighed as he turned towards Fiona's formation.
"..." Tauroneo blinked. Did Soren always have to be so serious?
"Rest assured, Soren. I will do what I can to talk. Whether they listen or not is up to fate."
Soren smirked. "I suspect you have better oratory skills than that, General."
Tauroneo smiled right back. "Well, I try to reduce one's expectations, as that tends to make them less likely to crack when they are not met."
"Good thinking, though it doesn't sound like an average General."
"So you thought of me as 'Average?'"
"No, I'm praising you. You've always been both experienced and sharp with regards to our plans."
"Why thank you."
"Enough with the stiff formalities, General. We have reinforcements to woo."
Fiona gasped as the Coalition's banners came into view.
"If I strike now, then this will be over... General Laverton can retire in peace, and Marado will be spared from suffering. Forward, everyone! We must destroy the enemy in the name of Daein!"
"General! Enemy cavalry are closing in!" A Dracolord yelled to Tauroneo from high above the field.
"They're striking already? What are they thinking? Get into position!" Soren yelled.
Fiona sprang towards her foes, knowing that this charge would be her last.
"Forward, sisters! In the name of Izuka!"
"Oh that's just great. Another lunatic. General, if you won't talk, then I'll have to take action. Gale!" Soren spun around and lifted his right palm. The winds began to swirl around the Archsage, and a gigantic stream of wind bellowed from the depths of his palm. Fiona, the Dragon Knights escorting her, and her Paladin guard were swept away by the green stream of magic, and when the storm passed the commander of Daein's Moradan Confederate wing found herself alone.
The rest of her army began to charge towards Soren, Tauroneo, and their Coalition troops, but Tauroneo calmly clanked forward and gave her a hand.
"Why are you helping me?... Wait a minute." She squinted her eyes to examine the knight.
Tauroneo just smiled.
"General! I... We all thought you were dead." Fiona gasped.
Here was a Steadfast Rider in the flesh! So this was what Lord Izuka meant by "traitors among the enemy."
"Dame Knight, it is pointless to continue fighting..." Tauroneo smiled grimly, but before he could continue...
"Why... Why are you standing against Daein once more? You turned on His Majesty Ashnard and killed Bryce's elite guard, among countless other warriors. Why do you attack your countrymen in its darkest hour, Steadfast Rider?!" Fiona nearly spat at him.
Tauroneo just stared at her: "Your accusations would have made sense if Izuka had Daein's welfare at heart. If that was the case, then I'd really be a traitor, and it would be disappointing, at least, for you not to administer justice and kill me. But you, Dame Knight, fail the see the truth."
He sighed.
"What truth do I need? You're guilty of sedition, breaching of army protocol, and treason to boot. Death should be your just reward." Fiona hissed.
Soren laughed.
"Tough words for a woman who's hand shakes as she holds her bow."
She gasped.
"How dare you refer to me so disgracefully!"
Soren smiled.
"A warrior who is so shaky with her grip is no warrior. Such incompetence is bound to get you killed... And you call yourself a General?"
"I... I need not hear such words from you. I am Fiona of Marado, and he who attacks my people will die by my hand!"
"Oh, sure, you seem to be full of hot air... Either that or you're too terrified to express yourself honestly. You're so afraid of me that you hide behind empty threats. Honestly, Fiona, we are not your enemy, so it is stupid for you to treat us like one. If you were to even glance at reality, you'd realize that you've been led like a sheep for so long. Izuka is not the voice of Daein, and since you're so blind I only have two options: either I can smack you 'till you become conscious, or you can recall how you've been used on your own." Soren crossed his arms.
Tauroneo just stared at the strategist. Did his tongue have absolutely no restraint?
Fiona was in tears. Jarod, Lekain, the Confederacy, the suffering of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and the fact that she was about to receive absolutely no reinforcements... It all made so much sense.
"How... How am I sure that you're not lying to me?" She sniffed, dropping her bow and fumbling for her lance.
Tauroneo smiled. "Have you not heard of the people rallying around the Daein Loyalist Army, or have you really been stuffed under a rock for so long?"
Fiona shook her head. She had heard rumors of thousands of civilians flocking over to the enemy side once the Daein Loyalist Army captured a county, but she thought it a mere rumor. Now, the General Tauroneo stood before her, with so many standing behind her... This Sage who was with him was quite rude, but somehow she did not feel as though he was a bad person, persay.
Turning her head, she spoke to her soldiers: "Everyone, stand down. Today we shall fight no more. We don't need to waste our lives in Lekain's name any longer."
From a distance, Laverton found himself lowering his spear. Panting as he took off his armor, he smiled. "Ah, to not have to stand before an onslaught and partake in the massacre that battle provides... 'Tis a good day indeed!"
Slowly the flag of Daein's Loyalists was hoisted over Marado's citadel, and as he posted several of her soldiers at its gates, Soren turned his eye southward. If he was to liberate Daein and Begnion for good, he would have to strike at Begnion proper. A push from Gallia into the Serenes Forest would do the trick, as Gallian troops were well suited for forest and jungle fighting. That, and the taking of Tanas would give him the possibility of linking up with what was left of the Laguz Emacipation army and, possibly, Stefan's refuge for Branded deep in the Grann Desert.
Striking the enemy from multiple points was always a valued strategy, and the Coalition's chief strategist knew that victory depended on his ability to slowly eat away at the enemy's heartland. As long as he could maintain his momentum, Tellius's future wouldn't look so grim.